If you’ve run at Presque Isle State Park or spent any time around Lake Erie lately, you know what I’m talking about right? Dead fish. Ugh.

It’s actually a natural die 0ff of gizzard shad, the preferred food of large-mouth bass. And the park is working on cleaning them up. Here’s the park’s official statement on the smelly situation:

A gizzard shad die off has occurred in Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie this winter. This natural die-off included predominantly juvenile gizzard shad and some larger sized adult fish were also affected that over-winter in Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie. These winter die-offs are not unusual and are related to temperature stresses. When visiting shoreline areas along Presque Isle State Park, visitors may experience areas of heavy fish kill. Park crews are working to clean all swimming beaches on Presque Isle on the lake side, and public boat launches and heavily used access areas along the Presque Isle Bay side of the park. General advice is that the public and their pets should avoid contact with these dead fish along the shoreline. Expect mild nuisance odor conditions in the area as the fish decay. Conditions will improve as fish are cleaned up and decay through natural processes entering into the summer months.